I 305 gets trim on the first drop

Just got word from a friend that is at KD. They have installed a trim on the first drop. While I am not surprised by this, I am glad I got to ride it without the trim.

Meh.

In other news, Carowinds' Intimidator absolutely rocks at nite.

Wow, what a "buzz-kill", especially for a first drop. Those are the worst.

I wonder if this is due to excessive forces in that turn following the first drop? Many people claim to grey/black out in that section. I only say this because you would think they would trim going up the second hill, if anything.

Intamin engineering at its finest, again! Always modifying, after the fact.

IF true. :)

My friend James is the source. He is the same guy that was in the video about riding I305 over 305 times. If any enthusiast knows this coaster, it is him.

*sigh*
I'll be there in two weeks and was hoping I'd get to experience it in its original form, since I figured some sort of trim was probably inevitable. Was just hoping I'd get in under the wire. :)

Dave, did he say how the ride compares to before? Is it any less thrilling now?

I'm skeptical. I want pictures.

Yea, he said it is just another coaster.
"Welcome to Tall, and that's all coaster 305."

I know that Coaster Crew is heading tot he park to investigate & I just asked James to take a photo. All he has is his phone though.

If it's true, I'm not surprised either. They are still closed Monday to Thursday. So, they would theoretically have had the time to make the modification. Again, if it's true, I'm glad I got to ride it pre-modification. I didn't get to ride Mean Streak or Mangum pre-mod.

Just a side note: Assuming this is true, then I believe the Coaster Zombies / Coaster Crew event "Intimidation" would have been the only coaster club event held pre-mod. It was held on May 1st.

^It was a really good event too (despite I-305 closing early due to wheel issues). Glad I made it. The first drop/turn/hill sequence was THE enjoyable part of the ride. Too much "bracing for impact" for my taste - I guess it's just one of those that you have to know how to ride? ;)

I am not surprised, nor am I disappointed at all. I don't particularly like intense positive G's and I don't particularly like having to ride defensively. I also don't particularly like twister style layouts without copious air. I didn't think I305 would come near S:RoS/Bizarro and now I'm even more sure it won't.

Maybe the grey-outs plus the thing was chewing up wheels in that first turn?

I don't care so much if they trim the thing, I just hope the trim is near the top of the drop to just kind of hold the train back a bit rather than half way down the drop like Mantis, for example. In other words, I don't mind being kept from accelerating so much as having the speed reduced after already having it.

Just got a message back from James, he said that the trim IS at the top of the first hill. I agree that being there might not be as bad as I am imagining.

I was told by someone with similar tastes in coaster to mine that the first drop/burn/first hill was great and the rest of the ride was meh. If they trim that hill under the lift, then I'm skeptical as to if I'll even like the thing.

How do you design a 300ft. ride and NOT know the forces?

or

How do you design a 300ft ride, 10 years after your first one and NOT know the forces?

Expedition GeForce -> Shoot the Rapids -> Intimidator 305 -> ???

It's only May!

I think they knew the forces when they built it....I just don't think they estimated peoples G-force threshold and tolerance ..General public also has a tough time distinguishing between "grey-out" and "black out". I imagine people still perceive this ride as dangerous.
I'm lucky enough to have ridden it 4 times without trims at the May 1st event, but am still going to ride it next time I go to KD. I agree with the fact that it's not that bad of an idea or modification either. I bet they were fabricating the trim the day after opening day.

On the bright side you won't feel the mid trims as much!!

JoshuaTBell said:
..General public also has a tough time distinguishing between "grey-out" and "black out". I imagine people still perceive this ride as dangerous.

I personally didn't enjoy coming out of the first turn, over the second hill thinking to myself "gee, glad I only partially blacked out, I survived". Really, isn't that what the grey-out is, partially blacking out?

I didn't think this coaster was very re-ridable and it may be that KD was finding that to be the case. I find this to be good news and would look forward to riding it in the future. Still not liking the OTSR's on a coaster that doesn't go upside down.

MrZero said:

Really, isn't that what the grey-out is, partially blacking out?

Well just ruin our fun Mr. Glass 1/2 empty ;)

Putting a magnetic trim halfway through the drop would be a huge mistake, if only because the force generated by the trim is directly proportional to the speed of the train. If it's already traveling 60 MPH the trim will generate more stopping force than if the train is only travelling 15 MPH.

Never having "blacked out", I find greying-out fun and enjoyable. Maybe I'd feel differently if I *had* ever blacked out....but I sure do love them Giovanolas! :)

Word on the street is that there is no trim yet, but it's being considered. That's what I've heard.

The enthusiast suggestion that trimming is done to reduce forces on humans is almost always wrong. Would it be done to reduce forces on train components that are expensive to replace? Yeah, probably.